Verizon Foundation Awarded $350,000 in Community Grants in 2010 to Support Nonprofit Organizations in R.I.

Nonprofit groups in Rhode Island received some $350,000 from the Verizon Foundation in 2010. The majority of the funds went to organizations that support education, domestic violence prevention and Internet safety.

In addition, Verizon employees volunteered more than 3,600 hours to nonprofit groups throughout the state in 2010.

"Verizon is driven by its employees to use the innovative power of our technology - and our philanthropic dollars - to address critical social issues," said Donna C. Cupelo, region president of Verizon New England. "We are proud to partner with key nonprofit organizations throughout Rhode Island to be a positive force for change in communities in greatest need."

Programs and organizations supported by the Verizon Foundation in 2010 include:

• Think Ahead with Thinkfinity Awards, $50,000; Rhode Island Network for Educational Technology (RINET) and the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, $25,000.  The two organizations are designated as the Verizon Foundation's Thinkfinity state education partners.  In addition, four public districts and schools received a total of $25,000 in grants to use Thinkfinity.org to improve student achievement: East Providence, Johnston and Scituate schools, and The Met School in Providence.

• Women's Fund, $20,000 to facilitate a Domestic Violence Technology Solutions/Social Change Request for Proposals for community organizations across Rhode Island to apply for funding to address the deeply rooted issues - both societal and institutional - that contribute to the victimization of women through domestic violence.
• The Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence, $10,000 for its Outdoor Education & Environmental Studies program, which provides opportunities for youth to learn about the environment, experience different natural environments, plan for the future, and make educated choices for sustaining the communities in which they live.
• Junior Achievement of Rhode Island, $10,000 for its JA In A Day program.  Elementary school students discover individual economic roles and the roles of families in the local economy, while also learning about responsibilities and opportunities within their economic community as they explore economic development, local businesses and career opportunities.
• Progresso Latino and CCRI, $7,500 each to help adult learners across Rhode Island improve their literacy skills through innovative, technology-based literacy programs.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 94.1 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 194,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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